A system and method for teleconferencing between conferees connected through a connectionless network and conferees connected through a connection-oriented network having a bridge. A call server connects to a bridge hosting a teleconference among connection-oriented conferees and joins the teleconference. The connection-oriented signal received by the call server is converted into a connectionless signal and sent to authorized, authenticated conferees connected through the connectionless network. The call server receives a connectionless signal from a conferee through the connectionless network, converts the signal to a connection-oriented signal and sends the connection-oriented signal to the bridge. Connectionless signals are stored in a database to be analyzed or sent to other conferees, such as those who were unavailable to join the teleconference as it occurred. The call server provides multimedia interfaces to conferees by which the conferees can monitor and join an ongoing teleconference, access a stored teleconference, or configure a new teleconference. The call server can also bridge teleconferences hosted on two or more bridges, expanding the audience for a given teleconference beyond the capacity of a single bridge.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An apparatus for teleconferencing connection-oriented conferees connected to a connection-oriented network having a bridge and connectionless conferees connected to a connectionless network, comprising a call server having a processor and computer-readable memory, said call server provided with a first port to be coupled to connection-oriented network and a second port to be coupled to a connectionless network, said call server receiving a connectionless input signal from a connectionless conferee through the connectionless network, converting said connectionless input signal to a connection-oriented output signal and sending said connection-oriented output signal to the bridge, and receiving a connection-oriented input signal from the bridge, converting said connection-oriented signal input into a connectionless output signal, and sending said connectionless output signal to connectionless conferees through the connectionless network to conduct at least one teleconference.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a database connected to said call server.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said call server sends multimedia teleconference data to a connectionless conferee.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said multimedia teleconference data includes list of teleconferences in which the connectionless conferee is authorized to participate and the status of each teleconference.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said multimedia teleconference data includes a list of participants in a teleconference and the status of each participant in the teleconference.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said multimedia teleconference data includes an input interface through which a conferee can enter or change teleconference data and send said data to said call server.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the conferee configures a new teleconference by entering and sending new teleconference data to the call server, said data including the name of the new teleconference, the names of at least two participants authorized to join the new teleconference, and a scheduled time and date for the new teleconference.
8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a conferee joins a teleconference by selecting a teleconference from a list of authorized teleconferences sent by said call server to the conferee and displayed to the conferee.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said call server authenticates the identity of a conferee.
10. A method for teleconferencing between connectionless conferees connected through a connectionless network and connection-oriented conferees connected through a connection-oriented network having a bridge, comprising the steps of: a. establishing a connection from a call server to the bridge that is connected to a connection-oriented conferee through the connection-oriented network; b. sending a teleconference data signal from the call server to the bridge; c. converting a connectionless input signal received from an authenticated connectionless conferee to a connection-oriented output signal; d. sending the connection-oriented output signal from the call server to the bridge; e. receiving a connection-oriented input signal at the call server from the bridge; f. converting the connection-oriented input signal to a connectionless output signal; and g. sending connectionless output signal from the call server to the authenticated connectionless conferee.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said connection-oriented teleconference data signal of step b includes access codes needed to join a teleconference hosted by the bridge.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said connectionless input and output signals are stored in a database.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of sending said connectionless input and output signals stored on said database to a conferee.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of providing a multimedia interface to a connectionless conferee.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said multimedia interface identifies teleconferences which the conferee is authorized to join and the status of each authorized teleconference.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said multimedia interface is used by the conferee to configure a new teleconference by entering the names of a at least two conferees authorized to participate in the new teleconference through the interface, and further comprising the step of receiving said names entered through the interface.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the conferee further configures a new teleconference by entering a scheduled date and time at which the conferees are authorized to join said new teleconference.
18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of monitoring the status of the teleconference, sending teleconference status information to connectionless conferees using a multimedia interface, and recording historical teleconference data in a database.
19. A system for teleconferencing between connectionless conferees connected through a connectionless network and connection-oriented conferees connected through a connection-oriented network having a bridge, comprising: a. a call server having a processor and computer-readable memory that converts a connectionless input signal to a connection-oriented output signal and a connection-oriented input signal to a connectionless output signal; b. a database that stores connectionless input and output signals; c. means for identifying and authenticating a conferee; d. means for joining a teleconference hosted by a bridge; e. means for monitoring the status of a teleconference and providing teleconference status information to a conferee; f. means for receiving teleconference configuration data.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 7, 1997
December 31, 2002
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